Starting as the heir of a marquis's mansion, I gained access to a summoning system.

The night was as dark as ink, in the backyard of the Fufensi branch office in Qinghe Town.

Dongfang Weiwo sat cross-legged in the secret room.

He won tonight's battle decisively. But it also made him realize one thing—the peak of the Body Refinement Realm was far from enough in this world. Tonight's opponent was a mid-stage Acquired Blood Exchange Realm cultivator. What if it had been an Acquired Golden Body Realm cultivator? Or an Acquired Divine Power Realm cultivator?

He can't win every time by surprise.

He took the Blood Exchange Pill out of his system inventory. The crimson pill felt warm in his palm, and he could faintly see blood-red patterns slowly flowing inside.

Take a deep breath.

Put the blood-repairing pill into your mouth.

Blood and qi surged, rushing through the body like a tidal wave. Beneath the skin, a faint golden light could be seen slowly flowing.

The effects of the blood-repairing pill are still lingering.

Every inch of flesh and blood is being transformed.

The fourth level of the "Dragon Body Refining Technique" - Blood Exchange Realm.

The core principle is singular: to cleanse and refine the blood throughout the body with the power of Qi and blood. Old blood is replaced with new blood, shedding the impurities of mortal form and giving birth to martial arts blood imbued with spirituality.

The blood-renewing method in this technique is far more powerful than ordinary techniques.

Using the nine dragon tendons as a guide, the power of qi and blood is compressed to its limit, and then released all at once—forcibly opening up all the blood vessels and acupoints in the body.

The pain was extreme.

For ordinary people, breaking through to the Blood Transformation Realm is a gradual process. It requires nurturing for months or even years, taking it slowly.

But the foundation of the Eastern-centric ideology is too solid.

During the Body Refinement Realm, he had already developed nine dragon tendons. The dragon bone was initially formed. His physical strength exceeded ten thousand jin.

Such a foundation destined his transformation process to be anything but ordinary.

boom--

Something inside my body exploded.

The nine dragon tendons vibrated in unison. A deep humming sound, like the low murmur of a dragon, filled the air. The power of qi and blood surged forth like a flood bursting its banks, rushing out along the dragon tendons and instantly flowing into the meridians throughout the body.

The blood is boiling.

Every drop is burning, breaking, and reforming.

He gritted his teeth. Veins bulged on his forehead. Sweat evaporated into white mist as soon as it seeped out.

The temperature inside the sealed room rose sharply.

The air itself was distorted.

click-

A crisp sound came from inside the body.

The barrier shattered.

A surge of power welled up from the depths of his bones, merging with his boiling blood. He could clearly feel his blood changing—gradually turning from dark red to crimson.

It has a faint golden glow.

The blood transfusion was successful.

Open your eyes.

A flash of lightning seemed to streak across the sealed room.

I looked down at my palm. Beneath the skin, I could vaguely see pale golden blood flowing slowly, carrying an indescribable vitality and power.

make a fist.

The finger bones made a crisp popping sound.

A faint sound of explosions could be heard in the air.

Strength, resilience, bone strength—all represent a qualitative leap. Ordinary swords and blades probably wouldn't even leave a mark.

Conceal your breath.

Step out of the secret room.

Inside the courtyard, Liu Tie, Zhang Dashan, and Su Wen had been waiting for quite some time.

"Sir, something has happened."

"explain."

"A body was found this morning in Willow Leaf Alley in the west of the city," Liu Tie said in a low voice. "A martial artist at the Blood Exchange Realm, with a shattered throat and a broken left arm. He died a quick and clean death. I just took a look, and the person's attire... seemed like that of an assassin."

Dongfang Weiwo remained unfazed: "Does Lord Zheng know?"

"Understood. Lord Zheng has already sent men to seal off the alley and is examining the body." Liu Tie paused, hesitated for a moment, and then said, "Sir, Lord Zheng requests your presence."

Dongfang Weiwo nodded and followed Liu Tie towards the front hall.

Zheng Yuanlang stood under the eaves of the front hall, a piece of silver he had found on the corpse clutched in his hand, his brows furrowed. Seeing Dongfang Weiwo approach, he raised his eyelids, his gaze lingering on the young man for a moment.

"Dongfang Xiaoqi, were you on night duty last night?"

"Yes."

"Did you notice anything unusual during your patrol?"

Dongfang Weiwo remained calm: "After patrolling the docks and the south of the city, I sent Liu Tie and the others back first. I then took a stroll around the west of the city and didn't find anything unusual. I also passed through that alley, but I didn't see anything at the time."

Zheng Yuanlang looked into his eyes, seemingly trying to determine the truthfulness of his words. After a moment, he looked away and tossed the piece of silver in his hand.

"A martial artist at the mid-stage of the Blood Exchange Realm died in an alley, his throat bone shattered by a single punch."

There aren't many people in Qinghe City with this kind of skill." His tone was flat, as if he were talking to himself. "You don't even need to investigate to know that such a person's background is tainted. He's dead, so be it. The Zhenfu Division is too lazy to collect the body of someone like that."

He tossed the loose silver to the strongman beside him and turned to walk into the hall. Reaching the doorway, he suddenly stopped and said without turning back, "But Dongfang Xiaoqi, you've only been here a few days, so be careful. Qinghe City is a dangerous place."

Dongfang Weiwo watched Zheng Yuanlang's retreating figure, his eyes narrowing slightly. This acting centurion was far more astute than he had imagined.

Go back to the room.

Immerse yourself in the system.

Energy Points: 4150.

After a moment's hesitation, he decided to initiate a Black Iron Summoning. At this stage, they still lacked manpower—Master Wuchen and Zhao Banshan each had their own missions, and Chen Jialuo and Wen Tailai were far away in the Cangmang Mountains. In Qinghe City, he only had himself and three subordinates at the Body Refinement Realm.

"System, consume 1000 energy points to summon Black Iron."

[1000 energy points consumed, 3150 remaining]

[Black Iron Summoning Initiated... Summoning Successful!]

Character acquired: Tian Guinong.

Identity: Head of the Northern Sect of Tianlongmen outside the Great Wall in the world of Snow Mountain Flying Fox.

Martial arts skills: Heavenly Dragon Sword Technique, lightness skill, and hidden weapon techniques.

Realm: Peak of Acquired Divine Power Realm.

Loyalty: 100%

A flash of light.

A person suddenly appeared in the room.

He was in his thirties. He had a thin face and a long beard. He wore a blue robe with a long sword hanging at his waist. He had a calm and reserved demeanor, with a touch of scholarly elegance.

"Tian Guinong greets the young master."

He knelt on one knee. His tone was respectful.

She sized him up. He was at the peak of the Acquired Divine Power Realm. Moreover, as the leader of a sect, he must have rich practical combat experience.

"Get up," he said. "Stay by my side for now and get familiar with the surroundings. I have a mission for you in a few days."

"Yes, ma'am."

A dilapidated temple in the south of the city.

The night was deep. The moon hung high in the sky.

A dark shadow swept across the rooftop like a ghost.

Silently.

Zhao Banshan.

He was ordered by Dongfang Weiwo to investigate the assassination attempt, and he had been secretly searching the city for the past few days.

Let's start with the assassin's body—he had no identification items on him, and his clothes were just ordinary coarse linen that could be found anywhere in the market. Clearly, he was intentionally trying to conceal his origins.

But Zhao Banshan was, after all, a Thousand-Armed Buddha. He had extensive experience in the martial arts world.

Starting with the assassin's martial arts style, they traced the trail backwards, eventually pinpointing the location to a dilapidated temple in the south of the city.

He had been watching the unusual activity at night these past few days.

Tonight, he decided to get closer and investigate.

The temple was small and dilapidated. It had fallen into disrepair over the years. The Buddha statues were collapsed and covered in cobwebs.

But Zhao Banshan keenly sensed that there was someone inside the temple.